“Connected” vehicles

By 2020, more than 50 percent of cars are equipped with GPS navigation.*

In 2020, many vehicles are connected to one another, the infrastructure around them and various data streams, improving traffic flow and safety. These cars automatically scan the Web for information about problems ahead or parking spaces at the destination, and suggest alternative routes or even different modes of travel if traffic is too heavy.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s CityCar effort is working on a suite of capabilities that will allow cars to drive themselves, while the Mercedes-Benz mbrace app allows remote door locking and services such as driving directions and restaurant listings through the navigation system. Similarly, Nissan’s CARWINGS allows electric-vehicle drivers to control functions remotely.